If you hear running water or see that the valve is stuck it needs to be replaced. Another cause for a toilet to fill slowly is a leaking flapper. If water leaks through the flapper after you flush the toilet, you'll need a new seal (and flapper). Regardless, plumbers can find the source of slow filling tanks fast.
More often than not, the flapper valve could need adjustment, or you may need to replace the toilet fill valve. Both are relatively small fixes that most homeowners can usually handle without calling in a professional plumber or having to remove the toilet and then having to install a new one.
According to Fixr, the average toilet valve repair cost is between $75 and $200 to replace a flush valve or up to $400 to fix a constantly running toilet. This includes the cost of the plumber's time for the toilet repair and the cost of the toilet parts.
Still, while a running toilet is not an emergency, it's not a non-issue. Leaving a toilet running can create quite the hassle for you, so you should know how to spot and why to fix it.
Leaking Around the Base of Your Toilet
The worst-case scenario is that the toilet leaks through the floor and causes damage to the room underneath. For this reason, it's best to involve a plumber to pinpoint the cause of the toilet leak and provide a quality solution.
The most common toilet leak is caused by a deteriorated flush valve (flapper) at the bottom of the toilet tank. If the flapper does not seat properly, water will leak into the toilet bowl. Often this leak will occur without being heard.
If your toilet bowl is leaking, it's smart to turn off the water at the shutoff valve. You will usually find it behind your toilet.
Typically, a running water toilet will waste thousands of gallons of water per month which translates to approximately $200 unnecessarily tacked onto your monthly water bill-- that's nearly $2,500 dollars a year down your toilet bowl. The above scenario is in the case of an extreme toilet leak.
These weak flushes can't send enough water down the pipes, which increases the odds that your bathroom's pipes will become blocked with waste. This blockage could lead to flooding at any part of your drainage system. As you can imagine, this scenario is smelly, unpleasant and costly to fix!
If your toilet has a button flush (also known as a dual flush toilet) and is continuously running, you want to start by cleaning or replacing the seal. If the issue continues—or if the water level is high and nearly overflowing—you may need to replace the fill valve.
A continuously running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day or more depending on the volume flow down the drain. This can cause a terrible increase to a family's typical water use, so fix toilet leaks as soon as possible. Some leaks are easy to find, such as a dripping faucet or running toilet.
The “minuscule” issue of a running toilet is actually a flood risk to your septic tank. When water continuously runs through your system, your tank will eventually overflow and result in the failure of your home's drain field.
Don't Wait For Further Issues, Stop Your Leaking Toilet!
Waiting when you're ready to deal with the problem or postponing checking it will only worsen the issue. it's better to stop a toilet running now than later. We hope these steps will help you fix your running toilet problem.
Depending on the water pressure to your house, a running toilet can leak over one gallon of water per hour. This is almost one unit of water a month. If left undiscovered, a running toilet can waste almost 13 units of water a year. Fortunately, most toilet leaks are relatively easy to fix.
If you suspect your toilet keeps running because of a major leak or damage to the bowl, gasket, flushing mechanism, or pipes, call a plumber right away. Be wary of easy, DIY solutions that might make problems worse, costing you more time, stress, and money in the long run.
Also, small water leaks can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars on your bill, so be sure to fix leaky faucets as soon as you see them. If you live in an apartment or condo, a running toilet may also cause your electric bill to go up.
If you only notice your toilet running in the middle of the night, there is a good chance that the water level in your tank is set too high.
The average leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water per day. That's over 6,000 gallons a month ($70.06*) for just one leaking toilet! Some toilets may produce a running water sound that is easy to hear. Some leaks are visible as a small trickle running from the rim to the water in the bowl.
A leaky toilet might not seem like a huge problem, but the water can quickly damage the bathroom walls and floor. External leaks can cause water puddles that can damage a downstairs ceiling, while internal leaks prevent the toilet from holding water properly.
A leaking toilet can waste up to 700 litres of water per day. A dripping tap can waste up to 150 litres of water per day.
Put 10-15 drops of food coloring or a dye tablet in the toilet tank. Wait 30 minutes without flushing. After 30 minutes, if the water in the bowl turns color, your toilet tank is leaking. Replace the parts inside your toilet tank.
If the water leaks on the floor instead of through the drain, you'll see streaks of old rings around the base. You should fix this problem immediately to prevent long-lasting property damage.
Again, leaky water is a telltale and common sign of a bad wax ring. If you do not regularly see moisture or puddling water under your toilet, you may be fine. Leaks can, however, happen where you do not see them, under the finished floor and into the subfloor.